I was told about a couple of new or young players to keep an eye on by sources within Tennessee’s football program before the season began. I’m still waiting for one Vol to fully emerge.
Tight end Ethan Davis was one that was held in high regard. Linebacker Edwin Spillman was another. Davis has already scored a touchdown as a redshirt freshman in the Vols’ season opener. Spillman hit the field last week for some extended playing time and, to no one’s surprise on Tennessee’s football team, excelled against Kent State. However, there is one Vol that was on my preseason radar that I believe will still be a major influence on this season, once he works his way through the sea of defensive tackles the Vols are blessed with on their roster.
Defensive lineman Jaxson Moi has three tackles this season, but they all came against the Vols’ one quality opponent, North Carolina State. In other words, Tennessee’s coaches played him when they needed him most, or thought they did. Amidst a crew of talented defensive linemen, Jaxson Moi could be an X-Factor, held back against lessor foes this season and be just days away from his breakout game, against Oklahoma on Saturday at 7:30 EST.
“Playing in the College Gameday atmosphere, big-time national stage games, this is what you come to Tennessee for,” said the more-than-ready Moi. “You come here to showcase your talent against the best. I’m excited for what our group is going to show, and I’m blessed for this opportunity.”
Moi transferred from Stanford and, no offense offense to the Cardinal, there’s a big difference in what Moi saw out west and what he’ll see in the SEC. He surely knows that. If he doesn’t, he’ll learn it soon enough against a tough, physical Oklahoma defense. Moi, also according to sources within the Tennessee program, has taken great pride in his work at Tennessee and will almost certainly excel once he gets more playing time, which isn’t easy to get no matter how good you are given the Vols’ depth up front defensively.
Moi, like so many transfers this season, has fit right in at Tennessee. He’s also part of a group of Polynesian players, headlined by quarterback Nico Iamaleava and middle linebacker Keenan Pili, that have already excelled as a Vol.
Pride in being a part of Tennessee’s program? Yeah, Moi has that. He’s especially proud of the Vols’ recent run of not allowing an offensive touchdown in Tennessee’s last four games.
Credit Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, defensive coordinator Tim Banks and defensive line coach Rodney Garner for having Moi ready to play and, perhaps, holding him back just a bit to surprise the Sooners and the SEC. At worst, Moi, who had a 1/2 tackles for a loss against the Wolfpack, will be an incredibly solid defensive tackle. We’ll see just how disruptive the proud Polynesian can be in the coming weeks.
“We are definitely very proud of our performances the last few weeks, but something Coach Heupel, Coach Banks, Coach Garner, the whole coaching staff preaches on is, ‘Great job on the win, but it’s time to flush it,”’ Moi said. “Now, it’s time to focus on Oklahoma, playing stout defense against them as well as we’ve done the past three weeks and keeping that momentum going into Norman.”
Tennessee already has plenty of defensive linemen, but they have one Moi that you need to keep an eye on this Saturday.
